Research "Reaching Hands"

The AFSH is committed to reaching for new ideas, reaching for new knowledge breakthroughs, and reaching into the future of hand and upper extremity care.  The key to our reach? Research!

Over the last three decades the AFSH has funded more than $2.6 million in research grants for more than 100 projects which in turn has yielded in excess of $20.5 million in funding for additional research.  As we look to the future of hand surgery in the 21st century funding research in our own profession is one of the most significant ways we can affect the future generations of our profession.  Research will always be at the core of the Foundation.  In the past several years we have not only raised the standards for and the quality of our grants but thanks to the AFSH 25th Anniversary Campaign we have been able to commit to significantly larger grants.  Reaching beyond where we have been in the past ensures that the impact of our efforts has greater clinical application.  

One of our goals with the 25th Anniversary Campaign was to fund larger clinical grants beyond the traditional $20,000 clinical grants that the Foundation has awarded for many years.  We are pleased to have funded the following grants as a result of this campaign:

Multi-Center Clinical Grant ($100,000 award from 2012) - The AFSH commemorated its 25th Anniversary by awarding a $100,000 grant for a well-designed prospective multi-center clinical research study. Kevin A. Hildebrand MD received a 2-year clinical research grant to conduct a study at two hospitals in Calgary for his project titled “Randomized Controlled Trial of Ketotifen to Prevent Post-traumatic Elbow Contractures.” (2012-2014)

Clinical Arthritis Grant ($100,000 award from 2013) - This competition was open to submissions on clinical topics including trials of treatment or rehabilitation diagnosis outcomes research and health services research.  The main requirement was that the focus be a clinical question relating to arthritis in the hand or wrist.  Jennifer F. Waljee MD MPH MSc was awarded this grant and will be conducting a study is titled “The Influence of Biologic Therapy on the Surgical Management of Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Population-Based Study.”  (2013-2015)

Hand Surgeon-Scientist Award ($187500 award from 2013) - John C. Elfar MD was awarded a K08 grant from NIH to work on “Erythropoietin for Neuroregeneration.”  Dr. Elfar was awarded a 2009 Basic Science Grant on this same subject and findings from that grant and others led to his successful K08 application.  Read more about Dr. Elfar’s journey.

The AFSH Research “Reaching Hands” fund helps support the following grants:

• Basic Science Grants
• Clinical Research Grants
• Special Emphasis restricted grants (Hand/Wrist Trauma Arthritis/Arthroplasty Shoulder and Elbow Biologics Nerve and Soft Tissue Congenital Problems)
• Resident/Fellow Fast Track Grants

Research monies also help to fund the following awards and programs:

• Joint AFSH/ACS Research Career Development Award – support researcher who has already received a K08 or K23 award
• Joint AFSH/PSF Hand Surgeon Scientist Award – supports a young faculty member at teaching institutions with accredited programs in plastic surgery who have demonstrated success in research by receiving extramural research funding - K08 or K23 award. 
• Julian M. Bruner Award – recognizes the top scientific poster presented at the ASSH Annual Meeting
• Joseph H. Boyes Award – recognizes the top resident/fellow paper presentation at the Adrian E. Flatt Residents and Fellows Conference
• Andrew J. Weiland Medal – mid-career researcher dedicated to advancing patient care
• Goldner Pioneer Award – recognizes the highest scored research grant submission
• Gelberman Scholar Award – travel scholarship to allow for a young hand surgeon to visit a national or international center of excellence to learn operative and research techniques
• Ronald Linscheid & James Dobyns “Excellence in Wrist Surgery Award” – recognizes the best wrist research paper presented at the ASSH Annual meeting 
• Young Investigator Scholarships – covers the cost to attend grant writing workshops
• Clinical Investigators Workshop – brings together clinicians involved in clinical research to discuss methodology issues and collaborate on works in progress.
• Basic Science Investigators Workshop – brings together researchers and investigators actively involved in basic research to exchange ideas address challenges and improve grant writing skills.

Education “Teaching Hands”

Hand surgery education has always been at the heart of both the Hand Society and Foundation.  We strive to offer the very best in educational resources, tools, and expertise by connecting members to the leading educators and innovators in the industry.  Supporting education has always required a significant investment in both time and resources to ensure we can successfully fulfill our mission.  Our Teaching Hands education fund will help us build an expendable fund to help finance new projects as well as expand existing programs. 

Support for the Teaching Hands education fund allows us to support:

• Annual Meeting Traveling Scholarships
• Hands-On Workshops and Labs for Residents and Fellows
• Content Expansion for Hand-e (online digital platform)
• Education Grants for new innovative teaching opportunities

AFSH Education Initiatives at work:

• Annual Meeting Traveling Scholarship Program – covers the cost of registration, housing and travel expenses for residents, fellows, and active duty military.
• Robert E. Carroll Founders Lecture – a tribute to Robert E. Carroll, MD and his impact on teaching and education in hand surgery.  This lecture takes place annually at the ASSH Annual Meeting.
• Lee Osterman Excellence in Education Award - recognize an ASSH member (>15 years) who has demonstrated excellence in educating students, residents, fellows and other surgeons and has dedicated his/her career to the advancement of hand surgery education.
• Hand-e – the Hand Society’s online learning portal.  A digital library of hand and upper extremity educational resources for the hand care community.
• Fellows Only Precourse preceding the R/F conference – launched in 2014 to address training gaps in graduating Fellows, the inaugural fellows’ course was on the topic of  “The Complete Hand Surgeon: Flaps You Should Know after Fellowship”
• Daniel C. Riordan Scholarship Award – funds 1 Annual Meeting Traveling Scholarship to a resident or fellow who has shown a sincere interest in teaching and patient care.  
• Chase Library & Museum (chaselibrary.org) – a dedication to the history, literature, art and science of hand and upper limb surgery.
• Hand and Upper Limb Fellowship Grant – pilot two-year fellowship program to provide partial funding for a second year of fellowship training in upper extremity surgery, to complement a traditional year of an accredited fellowship in hand surgery. 
• Patient Education Grant (http://handcare.assh.org)
• Adrian E. Flatt Residents and Fellows Conference – dedicated conference to furthering education for residents, fellows, and medical students.  Includes keynote lectures, debates, and paper/poster presentations.  Precedes the ASSH Annual Meeting.
• Bunnell Fellowship – provides travel scholarship for a young Hand Surgeon to pursue an educational or academic goal that requires national and international collaboration.
• Innovation in Education Grant program

Outreach “Touching Hands Project”

The Hand Society has a long history of supporting volunteer efforts to support hand care outreach.  We excited to launch the Touching Hands Project (THP) as its own branded entity, similar to other NGOs that provide healthcare and education to local physicians (e.g. Health Volunteers Overseas, Operation Smile, etc.).  The AFSH Outreach Fund will help finance short-term missions for THP medical teams to travel and bring care to underserved areas domestically and abroad.  

“We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill

Visit the Touching Hands Project page to learn more about how to get involved!

Touching Hands in Haiti

Find all the latest updates from the Touching Hands volunteers as they travel to Haiti. 

AFSH Outreach Initiatives at work:

• Touching Hand Project – funds short-term missions to under served areas
• Lee Gordon Fund – supports hand surgery missions organized by Health Volunteers Overseas. 
• AFSH HVO Young Surgeon Overseas Traveling Fellowship – funds a 4-week fellowship at an HVO teaching site in a developing country for R3, R4, R5, Fellows, and hand surgeons within three years of completing their fellowship and not in practice for more than five years.